Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely young daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.

The Philadelphia Phillies during a rain delay in Colorado came to the aid of the grounds crew. Seeing a member of the Coors Field grounds crew flung 10 feet in the air, then swallowed by a tarp was enough for the Phillies. Click on “Phillies help with the tarp” to see video.

All of the so-called Republicans in Congress who have adopted the Russ Feingold/cut and run philosophy concerning Iraq and are turning on the President, pushing him to set a timetable for troop withdrawal and abrupt changes to our military strategy.

The Colorado Rockies. If you watch the Philadelphia Phillies come to the rescue in the HEROES section, only one Colorado Rockie player reportedly came out to help the home team grounds crew. Where are the other Rockies’ players?

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“I don’t think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding the troops.” President Bush striking an aggressive new tone on Thursday in his clash with Congress over Iraq, telling lawmakers they had no business trying to manage the war, portraying the conflict as a showdown with Al Qaeda and warning that moving toward withdrawal now would risk “mass killings on a horrific scale.”

An "extreme, irresponsible" document.That’s how Governor Doyle described the state Assembly’s budget that does NOT increase taxes….extreme and irresponsible.

"If you don't think that fire and police are priorities for your budget, where are you spending the money?"Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, after Milwaukee officials said they would have to cut fire and police services under the state Assembly’s no-tax increase budget.

"A 30 cent jump in one day? For what?"Bob Moeller, as he filled his car at the Phillips 66 on Highway 100 and W. Layton Ave. in Greenfield. The station had raised its prices to $3.49 a gallon from $3.19 earlier in the morning, which prompted one angry customer to yell at the cashier and threaten not to pay his full bill according to the Journal/Sentinel.

"It's predominantly African-American kids playing up there. It looks so offensive. It sends a message that you are not welcome here. It is regretful that my child had to see that. I want a future for my child that is better than the past."Henry Hamilton III, a longtime Brown Deer resident, who is filing a complaint against the Brown Deer School District for attaching “The Club” to basketball rims on the playground at Brown Deer Middle School.

"We were having a number of people coming in after hours and using our basketball area for activities that we felt weren't the best thing to do. We recently had a situation where students leaving the court were robbed. One day we had some gunshots."Blake Peuse, the principal at Brown Deer Middle School said the move to place Clubs on the baskets - they were installed about two weeks ago and might be taken off sometime next month - wasn't meant to offend anyone.

”Bye, bye plane.”19-month old Garren Penland. He and his mother were booted off a plane after a flight attendant became upset when Garren kept saying "Bye, bye plane" as the aircraft prepared for liftoff.

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

Milwaukee Alderman Mike McGee Jr. makes over $71,000 a year, and qualifies for a public defender, meaning you and I help to pay for his defense.

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

As Senator Lazich pointed out in her blog, the Senate Democrats’ universal health care plan would create huge deficits. The senator handed out copies of a Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance report at a meeting of the Senate Health Committee this week. Several committee members and the two invited guest speakers had not seen it or heard about it.

The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WTA) has done some projections on the cost of the Senate Democrats’ plan, Healthy Wisconsin (HW), if the plan were to begin in 2007. The WTA reports:

“Based on 4.6 percent annual wage growth projected by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, HW revenues would increase from $15.2 billion in 2007 to $23.9 billion in 2017. If (the consulting group that worked on the government health plan), the Lewin Group is correct and health costs grow 6.5 percent per year, plan expenses would reach $28.4 billion by 2017. If costs grew eight percent, similar to recent increases in the existing state employee plan, spending would reach $32.8 billion.

Since the result would be deficits of between $4.5 billion and $8.9 billion, if the state HW (government) plan were to remain solvent, total payroll tax rates now set at 14.5 percent would have to rise to between 17.3 percent and 19.9 percent over the next decade.”

Seems to me Vanessa Williams, who did a lot worse than Polumbo, had to give up her Miss America crown many years ago. She only went on to enjoy a lucrative, popular career. Yeh, they really showed her.

REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

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